Angel Beats! Second Term
by Yuzuru's-Angel
Summary: After Otonashi entrusts him with looking over the After-Life, Tokoi Konoda leads the New S.S.S in a fight against God and a boy who happens upon the Angel Player. What secrets lie in the pasts that they cannot remember? Why does only Tokoi seem to know what's going on? Rated T for Violence, of course. Please R&R!
1. Beginnings

**Angel Beats! – Second Term**

**Note: Here's yet another Angel Beats! Fanfic from me; I hope you enjoy! **

**Summary: After Otonashi entrusts him with looking over the After-Life, Tokoi ends up starting up the New S.S.S, where he leads the newcomers in a fight against God, and a boy who happens to run across the Angel Player.**

**Below is the list of characters and their description (Skip if you really don't care):**

**Tokoi Konoda – Male – 16 – Medium-blonde hair, red eyes, tall, slim, wears the traditional tan uniform of the after-life with no tie – The leader of the N.S.S.S. Likes to manipulate people into doing what he wants, without them ever finding out. **

**Musume Yokota – Female – 16 – Black hair in a ponytail, deep-purple eyes, average height, slender, wears the traditional white female uniform of the after-life – The first member of the N.S.S.S. She is very independent, but tends to follow people when scared or unsure of something. **

**Gero – Male – 17 – Medium-white hair, blue eyes, tall, slim, wears the traditional tan uniform of the after-life – Mistaken as an 'Angel'; Stumbles across the Angel Player and uses it against the N.S.S.S. Naturally calm and kind, but is forced to change as he is attacked.**

**Usagi Tai – Male – 17 – Medium-brown hair, black eyes, average height, slim, wears glasses and the traditional tan uniform of the after-life – The second member of the N.S.S.S. Always reading a book, even while fighting, and is very quiet unless he must provide an answer to a problem the others are having. **

**Kurin – Female – 17 – Long and wavy dark-green hair, sky-blue eyes, short, slender, and wears the traditional white female uniform of the after-life – The third member of the N.S.S.S. She is very cheery and active, which is countered by her calm, collected playing of the guitar, where she truly shines.**

**Akako 'Red' – Male – 19 – Red mohawk, wears sunglasses, tall, slightly built, wears jeans and a t-shirt with a biker-vest and gloves – The fourth member of the N.S.S.S. Has an attitude, and is always itching to fight, although he has a soft spot for women and finds himself always trying to woo them. **

**Tsuni – Female – 20 – Medium dark-blue slicked-back hair, dark-blue eyes, tall, slightly built, wears a sleeveless t-shirt and jeans – The fifth member of the N.S.S.S. As the oldest, she is almost always trying to take control, and hastily goes into fights, succeeding much more than the rash Akako does. **

**Now, without further ado: Enjoy! **

**Chapter One – Beginnings**

"I…I have no reason to live anymore…"

The girl took a step out onto the street. Many people walked around her, unaware of what was about to happen.

"If I die…I can tell him…"

She took another step, and another. As she neared the middle of the street, a man noticed her and called out, "Hey! Look out!"…

But it was too late. There was no saving the girl as a car sped down the street and slammed into her.

She was dead.

* * *

><p>The girl opened her eyes and gasped. She sat up, her head spinning, looking around wildly…<p>

_Where am I? _She thought, beginning to panic as she saw the unfamiliar surroundings all around her…

It appeared to be a school. She was in a sort of courtyard, surrounded by buildings on every side. There was nobody in sight, but she could just make out a person up on the second floor, next to an open window.

The girl stood, stumbling for a moment, then recovered and made her way to the nearby entrance. Once inside, she turned down the hall and began to wander around, unsure of where she was going.

_I need to ask someone…Maybe…The Principal? _She wondered, looking around at the emptiness of the hallway. Then, something caught her eye: A map was hung up on the wall in a frame. She walked up to it and examined it for a few moments, before finding that the Principal's Office is at the edge of the building on the third floor.

She quickly ran for the nearest set of stairs, ascending up them, hoping to find some answers…

And, as she arrived at the Principal's Office, she hesitated for a moment, then knocked. No answer.

She then set a hand on the doorknob and began to open the door…But stopped at a creaking noise.

Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, she could see what appeared to be a large mallet swinging down from the ceiling panels directly towards her. She opened her mouth to scream, her heart feeling like it is about to explode…

When someone grabbed her and suddenly pulled her into the room.

She screamed for a moment, before realizing she was safe. For a few moments, she sat there, allowing her breathing to return to normal…

Then she realized that someone was standing beside her, holding onto her arm and supporting her.

"Are you alright?" the person asked. Surprised, the girl pushed him away and moved back, glaring at him.

They both gazed at each other for a few moments, the boy with his eyebrow raised, and the girl with a cautious look about her.

"W-What was that!" she exclaimed, pointing at the door with a shaky hand.

The boy glanced at the door for a moment, then grinned and answered, "Well, it's a sort of…trap, you could say."

"Trap for _what?_" she asked. The boy sighed.

"You know, I never caught your name." he told her. The girl gave him an annoyed look for avoiding her question.

"Musume..." she answered, "Musume Yokota."

The boy grinned at her, and said, "Well, Musume, it's nice to meet you. I'm Tokoi Konoda." He gave a small, mocking bow.

"Whatever," Musume stated in an annoyed voice, "Please…Can you explain _where _I am and _what_ the hell is going on around here?"

Tokoi rubbed the back of his head for a moment, thinking about how to explain everything.

"Well, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me…" he said. Musume gave him a look that said, 'Try me.", so he continued on with an explanation:

"You're dead," he stated, and Musume's shocked expression was apparent almost immediately, "This is the After-Life." Tokoi motioned all around with his hands.

He let that soak in for a few moments. Musume remained quiet, trying to read him and see if he was joking or not.

"I'm sure you can't remember anything from before arriving here." Tokoi pointed out. Musume opened her mouth to concur, but she suddenly realized…It was true. She had no clue how she got there. Even her name had been hard to remember, but she had ignored it before.

"B-But…I can't be dead." Musume said softly, although she couldn't stop herself from believing that what Tokoi was saying was the truth…

"I know it's hard, but you're here for a reason." Tokoi said, walking over to his desk, patting her shoulder as he passed by.

"What reason is that?" she asked in a voice that seemed void of any warmth. Musume turned towards Tokoi as he sat at the Principal's desk, running a hand across her face to wipe away a few tears that had started rolling down from her eyes.

Tokoi smiled at her as he said, "God, of course. You see, everyone that comes here died unfairly. And who is the one who decides life and death?" Tokoi pointed upwards. "God."

Musume raised an eyebrow. "So…You're saying I should go against God because I died too early?" she said. Tokoi nodded.

"That's about it." He said.

Musume shook her head and leaned against the couch behind her, still taking in all of the information she was just given.

"How exactly do you fight against God anyways?" she asked. Tokoi grinned yet again.

"I'm glad you asked that," he stated, standing and walking over to the nearby window and gazing out at a few students that were walking around and chatting with one another, "This world was created for us who die before our intended time…So, if we mess with the system, we will, therefore, be messing with God himself."

"The system?" Musume questioned. Tokoi nodded and gazed up at the sky through the window.

"You see, there are only a few of us here that are _real,_" he explained, "The others are known as NPCs, Non-Player Characters, who are merely here to fill the emptiness and make us feel at home."

Tokoi stepped to the side and motioned for Musume to step up to the window. She did, and gazed down at the students below.

"Those are not real people," Tokoi told her, "They act like it, completely, but they are merely programs for this place."

Musume was silent for a few moments. "How exactly do you know all of this then?" she asked.

"There was someone here when I arrived as well," Tokoi stated, closing his eyes as if trying to get a picture in his mind of that person, "He guided me, and taught me everything I needed to know…"

* * *

><p>"So, do you understand?"<p>

Tokoi was leaning back against the couch in the Principal's Office, staring down at the ground.

He shook his head. "This is…too much." Tokoi said, looking up at the person sitting at the desk. He had orange-hair, and he looked very straight-faced and slightly worn from stress.

"It was hard for me too…But at least I had people there for me." He said, glancing over at the flower in the vase on the desk. He ran a hand along its pedals, and then continued, "Others will come, with time, and I want you to be here for them."

Tokoi raised an eyebrow. "What about you? You can stay here, right, Otonashi?"

Otonashi shook his head. "I have someone waiting for me…" he stated, a smile appearing on his face for a moment as he looked at the white flower that was in full bloom, "But I couldn't leave without someone here…So please, do this for me."

He looked up at Tokoi with eyes that were full of longing…Full of pain and loneliness…

How could he turn the offer down?

"Okay…I will." Tokoi said softly. Otonashi smiled, and slowly stood, picking the flower from the vase and sniffing it for a moment.

"I'll leave it to you then." Otonashi said, holding the flower out to Tokoi, who reached out for it…

And was shocked as Otonashi vanished in the blink of an eye.

The flower daintily fell onto the desk, while Tokoi watched in disbelief. Then he picked up the flower, and gazed down at it, knowing he had much responsibility ahead of him…

But then, a thought came across his mind. A devious thought, which made him laugh to himself…

He was in control now. The others would come, and he could lead them into doing whatever he wanted…

_I can go against everything that this place is, _he thought, _against god himself!_

Tokoi smirked and crumpled the flower with his hand, then dropped it to the ground.

* * *

><p>"Tokoi?" Musume said.<p>

Tokoi snapped back to reality, realizing he had been lost in a distant memory.

"S-Sorry." He stated simply, walking back to his desk and sitting down, giving the empty vase on it a glance.

"So what are we supposed to do then? Beat up these NPCs and burn the school down?" Musume asked mockingly, her arms crossed, waiting to see his reaction to her smart comment. ..

But he seemed to ignore it, and tapped the desk for a few moments, thinking…

Then he turned towards her and answered her question:

"I have no idea."

**To be continued!**

**Next Chapter – An Angel's Welcoming**

**Note: This is mainly an introductory chapter, but don't worry, we'll meet more people, and the story will truly start, in the next one! Please stay tuned! **


	2. An Angel's Welcoming

**Angel Beats! – Second Term**

**Note: Here's the second chapter, where, in my opinion, it truly begins! ****J**

**Also: Sorry for delays; I actually had this and the next chapter done, but we've recently moved, and school has just started up, so, sadly, I never had any Internet to get on to upload. ****L**

**But anywho; Please Read, REVIEW, and ENJOY!**

**Chapter Two – An Angel's Welcoming**

It was a chilly and brisk day. The few people walking about paid no attention to the boy with the snow-white hair and extremely pale skin standing at the pay-phone.

"Please, listen to me-" He said, but the sound cut off, and he knew that she had hung up on him.

He shakily set the phone on the front of the machine, staring at the ground below him.

_I risked my life to contact her…Now it's all in vain, _he thought to himself, clenching his fists…

And that was when the coughing started. He hunched over as a fit of hard coughs overtook him, and blood came up with each one.

It was only when he was now on his knees, in extreme pain, that someone noticed him.

"Hey!" a woman called, quickly making her way towards him, but as she arrived by his side, he fell over, spasms of pain running through him.

"Help! Help!" The woman cried, looking all around, as the boy's vision began to darken…

And silence washed over him. Dead silence.

The boy opened his eyes to an unfamiliar, gray sky up above.

He sat up and looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. He appeared to be lying on the center lane of a school track, with bleachers nearby. Beyond the bleachers appeared to be the school itself.

Thunder sounded from up above. _I need to get inside before it rains… _the boy thought to himself, standing and swaying for a moment before balancing out.

He walked fast towards the school building, deciding to enter the largest of them all. Once inside, he gazed around at the empty hallways surrounding him.

_Is there anybody here? _He wondered, wandering down the hall and eventually coming to a classroom. He set his ear against the door, and could hear someone talking from inside.

_I guess I shouldn't disturb them, _he thought, moving back, _Maybe someone can help me…The Principal, maybe?_

The boy wandered down the hall until he came across a flight of stairs. Sure enough, there was a sign stating that the Principal was on the third floor.

So he ascended, eventually reaching the top floor. Once there, he followed more signs that led him to the end of a hallway, where a sign hung out stating 'Principal's Office'.

The boy placed his hand on the doorknob…Then decided that he should knock, and raised his hand, gently tapping the door…

"What was that?" Musume asked, turning towards the door. Tokoi gave the door a cautious look.

"I'm not sure…But nobody ever comes here." He stated, reaching underneath the desk…

And Musume gasped, surprised as he produced two handguns. "W-Where did you get those?" she asked.

"That cabinet over there had a few guns lying around," Tokoi stated, releasing the clips from the USP pistols and checking for ammo, then sliding them back in and locking it in place.

"I'm guessing that they were used for fighting against God?" Musume asked. Tokoi nodded. "What if it's someone like me? Are you just going to scare them off?" she continued.

"Don't worry, I'll only show them if it's a threat." He stated, slipping them into his back pockets and standing, making his way towards the door.

"Who is it?" Tokoi asked. There was silence for a few moments, then someone spoke:

"Um…My name is Gero, and I'm not sure how I got here." Tokoi raised an eyebrow, and stood there quietly for a moment.

"Alright." Tokoi stated, putting a hand on the doorknob, then stating, "_God_."

He then opened the door slowly, so that he could get a good look at who was on the other side.

Almost instantly, Tokoi was surprised by what he saw: A boy the same age as himself, with snow-white hair, pale skin, light-blue eyes, and all-white attire. He looked like he adapted to a frosty environment, Or he could even pass for an Angel…

_An Angel… _The thought crossed Tokoi's mind. Gero stepped past him into the office, hesitantly at first, realizing that there was, in fact, no Principal present.

Tokoi closed the door behind him. "Welcome." He stated, managing a small smile. Gero turned to look at him…And didn't smile back.

"Where am I?" he asked in a more threatening tone than Tokoi had expected.

He dropped his smile and gazed at Gero for a few moments, before telling him, "You're dead."

Musume was shocked by how direct Tokoi was with Gero. She was fed the news lightly, with such explanation that she had no need to panic…

And yet, Gero still seemed calm, as if the news didn't affect him…Or he just didn't believe it.

"Don't kid me. Why don't you tell me where I really am?" he stated. A hint of annoyance flashed onto Tokoi's face for a moment.

"It's true. You, I, and Musume here have all passed on," Tokoi explained further, motioning to himself and Musume behind him, "We are all here because we died before we could accomplish something."

Gero still didn't seem effected by what Tokoi was saying.

"That's a lie." Gero stated calmly, obviously defying Tokoi, who was starting to get annoyed.

"Well then, if you don't believe me, you can leave." Tokoi told him through gritted teeth, turning and walking back to his desk.

Musume could see the anger in Tokoi's face. _Just walk away, _she thought, glancing at Gero, then at the guns that Tokoi had.

"And if I don't?" Gero said…

And that was it. Musume gulped as Tokoi turned and produced the USPs from his back pocket, aiming them directly at Gero.

Now, for the first time, Gero seemed frightened, although only slightly. He had taken a step back, but appeared to be ready for a fight.

"Why aren't you running?" Tokoi stated calmly. He and Gero locked eyes for a few moments, as lightning suddenly crackled outside, filling the room with an ominous-blue glow for a moment.

"I'm not allowed to stand my ground?" Gero retorted.

Tokoi shook his head, and dropped his aim. "You only had me going for a moment there." he said softly, covering his face with a hand as if hiding his triumphant smirk. Musume and Gero looked at him, confused. Then, Tokoi looked back up at Gero, and finished:

"Angel."

As he spoke the words, Musume found herself taken aback. _Angel…From God? _ She looked over at Gero, who was obviously puzzled.

"What-" he began to ask, but Tokoi lifted his pistols once again, and fired a shot from each of them.

Luckily, Gero was able to duck the two shots, which were directed towards his head. He then spun around and opened the door, running out into the hallway as Tokoi fired three more shots at him, all of which barely missed him, hitting the wall beside him.

"Stay here." Tokoi said to Musume, who had her ears covered from the loud gunfire. He began to make chase after Gero, and Musume watched him as he left.

"W-Wait!" she called after him, not wanting to stay in there alone. She ran out into the hallway, then continued on, trying to follow the sound of gunshots.

_If that guy's an Angel, then I'm sure Tokoi won't let him escape, _Musume thought, _But…Is he really an Angel? _Doubts began to cloud her mind, but she shook them off and continued running…

But it wasn't long until she lost them. The sound of gunfire had ceased, and there was no trail marking where they could have gone.

_Damn, where did they-_ she began to wonder to herself:

But a shallow, cool voice suddenly came from behind, "I saw them head for the girl's dormitory." Musume jumped in surprise at the voice, and turned around.

He appeared to be a student, wearing the same uniform that she had seen the others wear. He had glasses, combed-out brown hair, and a book merely a few inches in front of his face, which he was still reading as he talked to her.

"Um…Thank you." Musume stated, opening her mouth to ask if he was, in fact, an NPC or not, but she shook her head and turned, realizing that the other two would be more important.

Musume followed the signs leading her to the girl's dorm rooms. Sure enough, a few bullet-marks could be seen in the walls, and she knew that she was on their trail…

But she didn't realize that she was walking right past Gero.

* * *

><p>Gero's breathing was beginning to shallow. He was sitting against the door to the room he had entered. Luckily, it seemed unoccupied, so there was no chance of someone stumbling upon him.<p>

He had escaped…For now, at least. When he was out of sight, he slipped into one of the Girl's Dorm rooms, and his pursuer ran right past.

_How long can I stay here? _He wondered, standing slowly and making his way over to the window. Gazing outside, he could see the rain pattering against the glass...

And, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the computer sitting on the nearby desk.

_Maybe I can contact somebody! _Gero thought, quickly sitting at the desk and reaching down for the computer tower, and pressing the power button.

As the machine booted up, he grinned to himself. _Now I can get out of this crazy place…_

But he realized that something was wrong. Instead of the normal, blue desktop you would normally see for a computer, a screen stating, "Angel Player 2.0" appeared, with a box asking for a password.

_Of course, it's protected. _He thought with a sigh, putting his hands on the keyboard and thinking hard about what it could possibly be…

_Eh, it can't hurt to try._ He thought, typing in his first guess: "Password".

**ACCESS GRANTED**

_You've got to be kidding me, _Gero thought, barely able to keep himself from laughing at the odds of his first guess being correct. He watched as the password box went away, and was replaced by a few other things on screen.

Everything seemed to be in English, but, luckily for him, he had studied it every year in High School, knowing it would pay off eventually.

_This computer is… useless, _he thought to himself, seeing that it only had a few links on it. He moved the mouse over to one that said 'Students' and clicked it.

What he saw surprised him. There were merely four names on the list, his included.

**Tokoi Konoda**

**Musume Yokota**

**Gero Kanagi**

**Usagi Tai**

Gero raised an eyebrow. _What the hell is this? _He wondered, moving the mouse over to another tab that read "Skills".

Another list dropped down on the other side of the screen:

**Hand Sonic**

**Distortion**

**Delay**

**Harmonics**

**Absorb **

**Howling **

He clicked on 'Delay', and, suddenly, a model of a girl appeared on screen, moving from side to side, with a delayed-pattern about her. After a moment, he realized it must be an example of what the 'Skill' is.

He clicked Harmonics. Sure enough, the model appeared again, this time splitting herself into an exact copy.

_What is this stuff? _Gero wondered…Then a thought came across his mind. _I wonder…_

He clicked on 'Hand Sonic' and attempted to drag it over to his name. Sure enough, when he let go of the mouse button, his name flashed for a few moments, before returning to normal.

_That didn't- _Gero started to think, but his train of thought was interrupted by a sudden feeling of pain in his right arm. He fell out of the chair, kneeling down, gazing at his arm, trembling…

Then, within a single second, the pain subsided. Confused, Gero glanced back up at the computer screen, where a box had appeared on screen.

**Guard Skill: Hand Sonic –Transfer Complete**

"Guard Skill: Hand Sonic?" Gero muttered to himself, and jumped up in surprise as a blade suddenly slid up from his right arm, extending well past it.

_This…This is… _He wasn't sure what to think for a moment, but he then found himself grinning and gazing at the blade, swinging it gently through the air.

_This is going to be fun._

**To be continued…**


	3. Recovery

**Angel Beats! – Second Term**

**Note: Here's yet another chapter! Let the action begin! ****J**

**Please Read, REVIEW, and ENJOY!**

**Chapter Three – Recovery**

"Hey!" Musume exclaimed as she ran up to him.

He tensed up for a moment, guns in hand, but, seeing her, he calmed almost instantly. "I lost him." Tokoi stated still glancing behind himself and Musume.

"Um…I don't think we should worry about him," Musume admitted, "He doesn't seem like much of a threat."

Tokoi stared at her for a few moments. She felt a chill crawl up her spine under his gaze, and wondered if he would get angry with her… But, luckily, he gave her a small smile.

"I guess you're right." He told her, although he continued to look around. "Let's head back."

With that, Tokoi walked past Musume, heading down the hallway back towards the Principal's Office. Musume could see that he was deliberately walking slow, still searching for signs of Gero.

"I doubt you'll find him." Musume commented. Tokoi ignored her for a moment.

"He's still around her somewhere." He finally said. Musume shook her head and opened her mouth to retort…

But, suddenly, a door just up ahead opened. Tokoi instantly raised his guns…And, sure enough, it was Gero.

"Found you." Tokoi said, grinning to himself.

"Maybe I wanted to be found?" Gero stated in a smug voice, turning towards Tokoi with his arms crossed, as if he was uninterested in him.

Musume could see Tokoi flare up in anger. "Wait-" she began to tell him, but he began to fire his pistols rapidly down the hall. Musume turned her attention back towards Gero, knowing that he had no chance of escape…

"_Guard Skill: Distortion._" Gero said, not moving a muscle as the bullets flew at him and seemed to be absorbed by an invisible shield around him.

Tokoi and Musume were taken by surprise. "W-What the…" she said.

"I knew it…" Tokoi muttered, "You're here to send us away from this place. Your God wants to throw us away, like he did before with our lives!" His voice rose and became more angered.

Gero smiled and gave a small chuckle. "Whatever it is you want to believe then." He stated.

Tokoi's grip on his pistols tightened for a moment, as if he were going to fire again…But he dropped his aim, and slipped the USPs into his back pockets.

"If my guns won't work," Tokoi began to say, kneeling down and lifting his pant leg, revealing a six-inch knife that was hidden within a holster in his shoe, "I guess I'll use this."

Taking the knife out of its holder, Tokoi stood and ran at Gero, who got into a battle-ready position.

"_Guard Skill: Hand Sonic_." He said, and a blade extended from his right arm. Tokoi, however, didn't flinch, and swung his knife around for Gero's neck, only to be parried by his blade.

Not missing a beat, Gero brought his blade back and jabbed at Tokoi, who moved back, barely able to dodge it. He then began to rapidly slice at Gero, who easily avoided the blows.

"Is this all?" Gero asked mockingly, as he hit Tokoi's knife hard enough to send it into a nearby wall. He then raised his blade, and swung it downward, giving Tokoi a clean, vertical slice down the left side of his chest.

Tokoi gasped in pain and stumbled backwards. He held a hand up to his wound, then gazed down at his bloody hand.

"Tokoi!" Musume shouted, running forward, just as he fell backwards. She caught him in her arms and gently brought him down to the ground.

"Sorry, but he brought it upon himself." Gero stated, the blade fading from his arm.

Musume felt tears come to her eyes, and she looked at her hands which were now stained with Tokoi's blood.

"You…" Musume said softly, glaring up at Gero, who looked taken aback.

"H-Hey, I'm the victim here!" he exclaimed…But Musume wasn't buying into it at all.

She rolled Tokoi over slightly, and pulled out one of his pistols, raising it and pointing it at Gero, who was taken by surprise…

And she fired a shot at him. Although her hand was shaking in fear, the shot hit Gero directly in his left shoulder. He took a few steps back, holding onto his injured soldier, gasping.

"It…hurts…" he said through clenched teeth. Musume let the gun drop to the ground, and she turned her attention back to Tokoi, who was unmoving.

_I…I need to get him somewhere safe, _she thought, gently putting two arms beneath him and attempting to lift him up…Although he was too much for her to carry.

_Damn…I need some help, I can't do this alone… _Musume dug her fingers into Tokoi, feeling fearful that she might lose the one friend he had made in the After-Life...

But then, as if hearing her thoughts, someone ran up to them and knelt beside Tokoi.

"I'll take him to the Infirmary." Came a familiar voice. Musume looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes, surprised to see none-other than the boy she had passed earlier.

"T-Thank you…" she said softly, as he gently picked up Tokoi.

Musume followed the boy as he hastily carried Tokoi through the halls, descending down to the second floor. After only a couple of minutes, they arrived at the Infirmary, and he set Tokoi on one of the beds.

"I'm going to try and fix him up," the boy stated, "But you can stand outside if you wish."

Musume nodded, thankful that she wouldn't have to see any more blood. She quickly left the room, and headed for the nearby restroom. Once inside, she gazed into the mirror and could see a few blood stains on her t-shirt, as well as on her hands.

She quickly washed the red off of her hands, then tried her best to remove the stains from her shirt, although they still remained. Once Musume was done, she sat in silence, gazing down at the red as it ran down the sink, trying to recover from the horrific scenes she had seen earlier.

_I guess I'm not very good with blood, _she thought to herself, realizing for the first time that her legs were shaking slightly. She took a deep breath, and allowed herself to calm, closing her eyes and trying to get the image of blood out of her head…

And, after a few moments, she felt calm enough to leave and head back for the Infirmary.

Once there, she decided to knock before entering. "It's alright to come in now." Came the boy's voice, and Musume hesitantly stepped inside.

She was instantly relieved as she saw Tokoi lying down with a large wrap covering his wound. His breathing was shallow, and he didn't seem to be in any pain.

"He lost a lot of blood, but he'll be fine." The boy stated, wiping his hands off on a hand-towel, then suddenly pulling out the same book from earlier from his back pocket and opening it up once more.

"T-Thank you." Musume told him with a dip of her head. Then, she decided to ask, "Um, who are you anyways?"

"Usagi." The boy stated without looking up from his book, "Usagi Tai. I've been here for quite a while, mainly reading and blending in."

"I'm Musume Yokota." She told him in return. Usagi nodded.

"It is nice to meet you." He stated solemnly, turning a page in his book…

"Musume…" Tokoi suddenly mumbled in a weak voice. Musume quickly moved over to his bedside.

"Tokoi, are you alright?" she asked. No response.

"He's still passed out," Usagi told her, "Blood loss can lead to odd dreams, so I'm sure you're in it. Speaking of blood, you may want to change, and there are extra uniforms in that closet over there." He pointed to a door on the other side of the room.

Musume nodded in agreement and headed over to the closet, opening it up. Sure enough, there were a few of the white uniforms she had seen the NPCs wearing before, neatly folded up on the middle shelving.

She found her size, and left the room to go and put it on.

Only a few moments after she left, Tokoi suddenly opened his eyes and gasped, sitting up quickly. He instantly regretted it, however, as he laid back down, pain rolling down his wound.

"You're awake." Usagi stated. Tokoi slowly turned his head and gazed over at him.

"You...I've seen you before." Tokoi said. Usagi raised an eyebrow and glanced up from his book.

"I guess I can't hide as well as I thought," he stated, pushing up on his glasses, "But that isn't really important right now. Do you feel alright?"

Tokoi glanced down at his bandaged wound. "I feel good enough." He stated, slowly sitting back up, wincing slightly, but trying to not let the pain show.

"Where is Musume?" Tokoi asked, looking around.

"She'll be back in a moment." Usagi answered.

"And Gero?"

Usagi didn't respond for a moment.

"She shot him, but I'm sure he's still alive" He finally answered.

Tokoi couldn't help but show his surprise. _Musume… _he thought, closing his eyes, _Was seeing me injured enough to push you over the edge?_

He sat there in silence for a few moments.

"We need to get him," Tokoi stated, "Dead or alive, I don't care. He'll come for us if we don't act first." He then began to move his legs to the bedside, attempting to get up, but he stopped and winced at the pain.

"You're in no condition to do anything right now," Usagi pointed out, "But Musume and I can definitely take action towards whatever you come up."

Tokoi nodded. "Thanks, I may actually have an idea," he stated, setting a hand on his chin and closing his eyes, thinking for a few moments, before continuing, "Looking through a few logs left behind from previous arrivals, I found a few operations that were held to apprehend a previous Angel."

Usagi turned a page in his book. "Were these operations effective?" he asked.

Tokoi shook his head. "Most are useless, and are mainly for obtaining food and other supplies," he answered, "But there were a few that we could change into diversions, which would allow us to take Gero by surprise."

"Sounds good, but where do we start?" Usagi asked.

Tokoi let a small grin come onto his face, and looked up at him. "Well, let me ask this: Can you play a guitar?"

* * *

><p>Musume was about to enter the Infirmary when Usagi suddenly stepped out, closing the door behind him.<p>

"What's up?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"We need to find someone who can play the guitar," He replied, turning a page in his book and glancing at her, "Unless, of course, you can play."

Musume shook her head. "I can't…But what does this have to do with anything?" she asked.

Usagi seemed to ignore the question, and pointed down the hall to the left. "Start going into classes and asking; there might be someone out there to answer our call."

Musume was about to ask her question again, but Usagi was already moving past her hastily, towards the nearest classroom. She shook her head and sighed, turning and walking the opposite way.

It seemed easy enough: Barge into a classroom, ask if anybody played, then leave if there was no response…But Musume became nervous as she set a hand on the door.

_This place isn't a real school, _she told herself…But it wasn't much easier.

She turned and gazed down the hall, where she could just make out Usagi as he quickly opened a door and asked, "Is anyone here capable of playing a guitar?"

After waiting for a few moments, she watched as he closed the door and left, as if he wasn't bothered at all.

_Alright, here it goes! _Musume thought to herself, taking a deep breath, and closing her eyes…Then she opened the door in a quick and rather violent manner.

"Can anyone here play the guitar!" she asked, in a shouting voice that she hadn't quite intended...When she opened her eyes, her mouth gaped as she looked inside the room.

Nobody was there. It was an empty classroom.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me; can anybody here play a guitar?" Usagi asked as he opened the doorway to yet another classroom, this one being on the second floor.<p>

He had already gone through all of the halls on his side of the third floor, with no success in finding the person that they were looking for…

And, here he was again, being looked at by dumbfounded students and a teacher who wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

"Sorry for distur-" Usagi began to say, about to close the door…

But he stopped as a girl suddenly shot up from her seat.

She had long, wavy green hair and bright-blue eyes. A smile was on her face, and she did a sort of mocking salute with her hand.

"I can!"

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter – Goddess Rhythm **


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